Sealbar for continuous grate sintering machines

ABSTRACT

A sealbar for a continuous-grate type of sintering or pelletizing machine to improve and maintain an efficient seal between the sides of the moving pallets and windboxes.

United States Patent 1 Bradwell et al.

[ 51 Apr. 3, 1973 Inventors: Cyril SEALBAR FOR CONTINUOUS GRATE SINTERING MACHINES Bradwell, R.D. No. 3, Honeysuckle Road, Bethlehem, Pa. 18015; Robert C. Pope, R.D. No. 3, PD. Box 302, Quakertown, Pa. 18951 Filed: Oct. 26, 1971 App1.N0.: 192,407

US. Cl. ..'.266/2l Int. Cl ..F27b 21/06 Field of Search ..266/20, 21

Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost Attorney-Joseph J. OKeefe [57] ABSTRACT A sealbar for a continuous-grate type of sinte'ring or pelletizing machine to improve and maintain an efficient seal between the sides of the moving pallets and windboxes.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Joli F; 26

PATENTED 3 I975 INVENTORS C ri/ Brae we Roberf C. Pope BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a continuous grate sintering or pelletizing machine and more particularly to metal sealbars that seal the joints between moving pallets and windboxes.

Continuous sintering machines comprising a train of pallets conveyed as an endless moving grate are used to agglomerate mixtures of metallic ores, fuel, and flux materials. A mix is charged into the moving pallets to form a sinter bed which is fired to cause fusion of the particles of the bed. To support combustion of the sinter bed, air is supplied through the bed to windboxes positioned beneath the pallets and extending the length of the sintering machine.

For most efficient operation of the machine, it is important that the joint between the moving pallets and the windboxes be sealed'to prevent leakage of air. Prior art shows that seals are formed by elongated metal sealbars that are pin connected to the pallets and are adapted to slide on tracks attached to the top of the windboxes. However, improper sealing often occurs because of hung-up or sticking sealbars. This condition occurs when the pallets return to an upright position after being inverted for discharge purposes. Free movement of the freely suspended sealbars can be seriously inhibited by granular material, by damaged sliding surfaces of the sealbars, and by the negative pressure in the windboxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide metal sealbars which will make an airtight seal with the top surfaces of the windboxes in a sintering machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sealbar that will not hang or stick out of position when the pa]- let is upright.

The invention is directed to a sealbar which is freely suspended in a downwardly open groove formed in the side of a pallet, has a bottom surface providing sealing contact with a top surface or track attached to the top of the windbox, and a side surface providing sealing contact with aside of the groove, and spacing means for positively spacing a portion of the sealbar adjacent the side sealing surface away from the side of the groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a continuous grate sintering machine with the pallet in an upright position.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of one form of a sealbar of the invention. 4

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 through 7 are cross-sectional views of several modifications of the invention.

' FIG. Sis a vertical cross-sectional view of a continuous grate sinteringmachine pallet inverted.

DON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the FIGS., and particularly FIG. 1, this invention is directed to a sealbar 15 of a continuous grate sintering machine. A pallet of a sintering machine is shown generally at 10. The pallet 10 has a grate 11 provided with holes 12 through which air is passed to provide the oxygen necessary for a mix (not shown) to burn uniformly while traveling on the pallet. The pallet has a sidewall 13 provided with a downwardly open groove 14 wherein a sealbar 15 is attached to the sidewall 13 by means of pins 17. The pallet 10 is supported by axles 25 and wheels 26 attached thereto. The wheel 26 rides on track 27.

The sealbar 15 has an upper portion 18 and a lower portion 19. The upper portion is provided with projection 20 which contacts the sidewall 13 of the groove 14 and slots 28 to suspend the sealbar on the pins 17. The slots 28 have a surface 32 that is wedge-shaped to help prevent foreign material from accumulating in the slot. The projection 20 can be a plurality of buttons as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or a continuous ribas illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7. The projection 20 keeps a portion of the inner surface 29 of the sealbar 15 from contacting the sidewall 13 of the groove 14. The bottom surface 21 of the lower portion 19 of the sealbar 15 is adapted to make airtight sealing contact with and slide on the surface 22 of the track 23 atop the windbox shown generally at 24. Surface 22 of track 23 may be either horizontal or inclined as matter of choice. The lower portion 19 is also provided with a side sealing surface 30. adapted to make airtight contact with the sidewall 13 of groove 14. The sealbar 15 shown in the groove 14 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the preferred embodiment of the sealbar of the invention. While FIG. 2

shows the ends of the sealbar in the upper portion 18 to be recessed to permit an end seal in the groove 14, this recess may not be necessary.

Other modifications of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 through 7 feature the lower portion 19 with the bottom sealing surface 21, but have variations in the side sealing surface 30 and in surface 29. FIGS. 5, 6 and7 show that surface 29 tapers upwardly from the sealing surface 21; FIG. 4 shows surface 29 without any taper; FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 show that surface 29 has projection 20 thereon; and FIG. 6 shows that surface 29 has a longitudinal groove 31 formed therein.

In any of the modifications, it will be noted that the portion of the seal bar 15 adjacent the side sealing surface 30 of the sealbar 15 does not contact the surface 16 of the sidewall 13 of the groove 14. However, the lower extremity of the sidewall 13 is in contact with side sealing surface 30 of the lower portion 19 of the sealbar 15. The seal at this juncture is sufficient to prevent air leakage into the windboxes under the grate 11. The sealbar 15 has sufficient weight so that it will be freely suspended from the pins 17 to make an airtight seal between the bottom sealing surface 21 of the sealbar l5 and the surface 22 of the track 23 to prevent air leakage into the windboxes under the grate 11 of the pallet 10.

In some cases, it may be preferable to incorporate the spacing means such as a rib or buttons in the inner sidewall 13 of the groove 14' instead of a sealbar 15. However by making the sealbars 15 with the integral spacing means this sealbar can be easily used in existing sintering machines without changing the pallets 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the pallet is on the return passage, it is in an inverted position. The sealbar falls into the groove 14. The lower portion 19 of the sealbar contacts one of the surfaces of the sidewalls of the groove 14to help prevent the ingress of dirt into the groove 14.

The sealbar can be made of any suitable material, such as plate steel, cast iron, nodular cast iron, and the like, provided the material can withstand high temperatures and is resistant to abrasion and peening and is easily slidable. A cast sealbar made from nodular cast iron is especially useful in this application.

We claim:

1. In a continuous grate type sintering machine having a track, a train of individual pallets movable on said track and a windbox beneath said pallets, an elongated metal sealbar suspended in a downwardly open groove extending along the sides of each of said pallets, said sealbar having a bottom sealing surface adapted to slide upon and provide substantially airtight sealing contact with a top surface of said windbox, a side sealing surface on one side of said sealbar and adapted to contact a portion of the inner side wall of said groove, and spacing means for spacing a portion of said sealbar adjacent said side sealing surface from the inner Side wall of said groove.

2. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a projection on one side of said sealbar.

3. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a series of button-like projections on one side of the sealbar.

4. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a longitudinal groove formed in the side of said sealbar.

5. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the sealbar is tapered upwardly from said bottom sealing surface.

6. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein said sealbar is suspended from pins in the said downwardly open groove by means of slots having a wedge-shaped surface which bea'rs against said pins.

I l I III 

1. In a continuous grate type sintering machine having a track, a train of individual pallets movable on said track and a windbox beneath said pallets, an elongated metal sealbar suspended in a downwardly open groove extending along the sides of each of said pallets, said sealbar having a bottom sealing surface adapted to slide upon and provide substantially airtight sealing contact with a top surface of said windbox, a side sealing surface on one side of said sealbar and adapted to contact a portion of the Inner side wall of said groove, and spacing means for spacing a portion of said sealbar adjacent said side sealing surface from the inner side wall of said groove.
 2. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a projection on one side of said sealbar.
 3. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a series of button-like projections on one side of the sealbar.
 4. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the spacing means is a longitudinal groove formed in the side of said sealbar.
 5. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein the sealbar is tapered upwardly from said bottom sealing surface.
 6. The sealbar of claim 1 wherein said sealbar is suspended from pins in the said downwardly open groove by means of slots having a wedge-shaped surface which bears against said pins. 